U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,078 to Lewis et al., discloses a vehicle cover comprising fabric panels, joined to each other by more or less continuous rows of simple stitching to conform roughly to at least a portion of an automotive vehicle. The vehicle cover is designed so that flaps and other portions of the cover may be raised to expose doors, fenders, trunks, hoods etc. that are to be selectively painted.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,233 to DeLillo teaches a protective device adapted to cover and shield a surface to be protected, typically a vehicle surface. The device for protecting a surface from sprayed paint or the like, comprises a strip of flexible sheet material, such as creped paper. The side edge of this paper is gathered so that the strip naturally assumes a somewhat accurate form. A narrow adhesive band extends continuously along the gathered edge and adhesive areas are also provided on the opposite edge of the strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,652,023 to Kletsky relates to wheel masks for automotive vehicles adapted to be mounted on a tire when a vehicle is being painted. The protective cover comprises a disk like sheet of material, with an elasticized edge, adapted to cover and conform to the circular formation of a tire and wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,287 to Layne also teaches a masking device for protecting an automobile wheel and tire during body painting. As contrasted with Keltsky's elasticized edge, Layne uses a resilient wire connecting the ends of a circumferential loop.
Vehicle covers may also be constructed of other materials such as cloth, or plastic, or paper strips. These covers are problematic. Cloth and plastic covers are difficult to use because they do not easily conform to a variety of different vehicle shapes and sizes. Cloth and plastic covers also require storage and periodic cleaning. Still further, plastic covers are even less desirable because they entrap moisture from the air and plasticizers from curing plastic vehicle components, which may damage the vehicle interior. Paper strips are also undesirable because they require fitting and cutting by hand and permit solvent migration through the paper cover onto the vehicle surface. Furthermore, these vehicle covers provide no adequate protection against certain types of impact damage and are ill-suited for use in a body shop or during vehicle transportation, where such protection is desirable. Additionally, these covers do not provide a reliable means for identifying the covered vehicle without removing the vehicle cover.